Silence before the dawn
by Jerox'eon
Summary: Fourteen months following an apocalyptic infection that ravaged the known world, two survivors, Gabriel and Zoey, reluctantly call this new world home. With every single breath and step they take, they draw closer to the truth- the truth being that in order to find life, they must embrace death. To find light, they must first endure the darkness...a darkness with an undying hunger.
1. Chapter 1: The unexpected

_I own the copyright to this story and am providing chapters exclusively for further broadening the audience my book. A limit of five chapters will be provided for the reading pleasure, as well as critique, of its respective readers. If you desire to purchase the full book(27 chapters in total) contact me via review or pm. Enjoy..._

**Silence before the dawn**

_For the true Zoey, just as vivacious in literature as you are in real life- enjoy..._

Chapter 1: The unexpected…

"Hey...so, dya want cornflakes or oatmeal?" said a young man rummaging through the lower cabinets, kneeling on his right knee. He seemed indecisive himself, with the wide variety of options throughout the kitchen, why go for the same breakfast two days in a row?

The kitchen itself- spacious, sparsely decorated yet lovely all the same. Ornately carved stone tiles, smooth as can be with hues ranging from cool grays to a dusky pearl. From the lemony scent that wafted through the air, they were mopped just recently, a dull glint proving so. To the far left corner, four polished cherry wood cupboards, two pairs per drawer of black nickel handles resembling an open blossom. Stocked with fine china exported from overseas, exactly how fine was anyone's guess. Stainless steel sinks, glistening from the sunlight, a large window a few inches above granting a spectacular view of the city far below. Two long black granite counters on either side of the sinks, the last one to the right housing the cabinet that the young man was currently perusing through.

"So yeah, maybe we should just have some taters today- whaddya think?" the young man said, thoughts elsewhere as he stood up, rotating his shoulders.

Three doorways granted easy access to the kitchen, two leading to the living room and one for the hallway to the bedrooms and a luxurious bathroom that accommodated a masseuse station, large stone countertops and everything a five star suite would be expected to house.

From one of the hallways popped a head, curiously peering from the corner. A young woman, probably two or three years younger than the young man, a colorful towel draped on her head. "Taters." she said, strolling into the kitchen, going to the round table in the center of the room. Dragging one of four chairs, leather padding muffling any screeching noise that would've been the result of the action. Turning around, yawning as he spoke "So you actually heard me?"

"You bet." she replied, yawning as well. Leaning back, arms behind her head, grinning, she also said "Had the sweetest dream last night..." waiting for the young man to inquire concerning the rest of the dream. Having had grabbed a package of tatertots from the massive freezer, also of stainless steel, the young man began frying the frozen goods on the stoneware frying pan, the frying pan heating up fast, azure flames beneath set to high. Looking over his shoulder, the young man seemed interested. "Lemme guess, you were flying a jet again?" Adding butter to the pan, the sound of popping, then sizzling as the cold slice of golden butter frantically tried to escape the raging heat it quickly melted away to a clearer liquid, soaking into the tater tots.

"Mmmm...that smells good." she said, the young man merely nodded his head in return.

"You bet...I'm gonna fly one someday." she said, returning back to the subject of her dream. Sliding the breakfast into a wide maroon bowl, crisp little tots piling in like a miniature rock slide. Sitting down as he set the food in the midst of the table, across from the young woman. The table was better suited for intimate affairs, such as a quiet conversation over tea.

"Thanks Gabe." the gal said, leaning forward, resting her chin in her hand, anxious fingers drumming the side of her cheek, wide eyes focused on the food. "Do you want to do the honors this time?" she added, sprinkling a small measure of salt. "As always, you're welcome Zoey- and sure, I'll do the honors." Gabriel said, lowering his head. Zoey followed suit. "Lord...thank You for this day. Thank You for the fact that we can breathe once again. Thank You for protecting us. Thank You for this food...I ask that You bless this, in Jesus' name we pray."

"Amen."

"Amen."

Grabbing a few of the greasy tater tots, Zoey popped one by one into her mouth. A satisfied smile etched on her face. "Good, huh?" Gabriel said, eyes closed as he enjoyed the food with his companion. "I need new tanks." Zoey blurted out. Wearing a verdure tank top, over a dingy white one. Faded jean shorts, a scratched black belt and worn out black sneakers. Pulling the towel off of her head, straining the tips of her long curly brown hair, water droplets trickling down onto the floor. Placing the towel, colorful Hawaiian flower patterns being the design, over her shoulders.

"Didn't you get a bunch the last run?" Gabriel asked, his head laying on the table, hair equally as long and equally as curly but nearly black by color yet wine red in certain lights, arms hanging by his sides.

"You alright?" Zoey said, concern in her voice.

Gabriel touched his left leg, his hand recoiling back, a sharp pain emanating from the bandaged wound. Head still on the table, hair hiding his expressions.

"Gabe- are you okay?" Zoey repeated her question.

The bandaged leg started shaking violently, and in an attempt to ease the spontaneous response to the touch, Gabriel pressed down hard with both of his hands, the pain excruciating. Grunting, he effectively held himself from yelling but it wouldn't last for long. Zoey jumped up, consequently knocking the bowl of tater tots off of the table, shoving the chair away as she rushed around to the side of the young man.

A swift observation was all she needed. From a quick look at his face, she could see the signs. His face flushed of color, veins apparent and pulsing like a living flash of livid bolts in a pale sky. Taking a some steps back, swiping one of the knives from the sink- the knife's edge razor sharp and moderately long.

Fear began to set in, blade raised in self-defense, Zoey stared helplessly on.

"Gabe...?" Zoey said, holding the knife up, her hands shaking as a strange feeling slithered down her neck. Unresponsive, Gabriel dropped to the side, a 'thump' as his body hit the ground.

"Gabriel!" Zoey shouted, worried for him yet cautious for her own life. Knife at eye-level, pointing in his general direction, she slowly backed into the hallway, snatching a handgun from Gabriel's hanging rucksack. Still facing his direction, a few feet from him, the beads of sweat that were accumulating had already began to run down her face, the sting of salty perspiration touching her eye. With the back of her knifehand Zoey rubbed both of her eyes quickly. The table blocking her view of Gabriel, leaving only his boots visible.

"Dn hhood." Gabriel muttered weakly.

Instantly Zoey rushed to him, shoving the gun in the back of her shorts, between the belted area. Placing the knife down on the ground, sitting down beside her companion. Drawing him closer to herself as gently as she could, resting his head on her thigh. Matted to his face from the sweat, his hair obscuring his wearied expression. Wiping his hair from his face, pressing her hand to his cheek- chilly to the touch. "What did you say...?" she asked, her voice virtually a whisper.

"Don't shoot..." he replied immediately.

A

sad smile crossed her face, it was a close call, or so she thought. Relief sinking in, she moved her hand from his cheek to his chest. Over his heart, she could feel the rhythm of its drum returning to normal. Up, then slowly down. Up, then slowly down again. His breathing was forced, yet becoming more natural as the minutes passed.

"Don't cry, you'll make me cry..." Gabe said, looking up, his face still pale but a smile on it nonetheless.

Confused, Zoey touched her cheek- and to her surprise tears were running freely across her face, her nose stuffed to boot. Zoey then buried her face into her arm, wiping off the deluge of tears.

"Better?" she asked, looking down at her recovering friend. He smiled in response, then playfully poked her nose "Boop..." he said, adding a light sound effect to the gesture if you will. This indirectly encouraged more tears. "Ah man." she said. Again, she repeated the process of wiping her face in her arm. "Careful now, you're nose will turn into a cherry if you keep it up." Gabriel joked, examining her nose and how pink it had become. Her eyelids red, lined with tears.

"Its getting late." Gabriel said, glancing outside, the skyscrapers now blocking most of the fading light, painting the room in gray.

"When?" Zoey asked, staring at the bandage tightly wrapped around the middle

of Gabriel's thigh. The tan-ish bandage was now mostly a brownish red around the edges and darker red at the center.

"Yesterday. Around 7:30." Gabe responded two minutes later, his voice low.

"Why didn't you tell me and how did it happen?" she asked quietly.

"You know how it happ-"

"Thats not what I meant and you know it- yesterday you were supposed to be back early. It was suppoooosed to be a "quick "food raid. In and out." Zoey snapped.

Tapping his index and middle fingers on his good thigh, Gabriel purposely waited a moment before replying. "I knew you needed new strings for your violin, and mine's too, so I-"

"Ugh! Gabriel! The nearest music store is twelve blocks!" Zoey interrupted, again.

Tired, he continued. "And thats how I got the bite. Thats why I came home a few hours later- I needed to make sure I wasn't followed back, and that I didn't turn."

Nodding her head, clearly annoyed, she just kept quiet. As for Gabe, he remained quiet himself.

Several minutes of prolonged silence continued until Zoey broke the stillness. "I'm going with you next time."

It didn't take even a second for Gabe to put his two cents in. "We're leaving."

"What?" shocked by his remark, Zoey laughed, though not the laugh due to humor.

"Exactly. I wouldn't be half as effective with you out there."

"Excuse me? You're joking right...I know how to use a gun you know! You better be joking..."

Gabriel sighed before he replied "I know. I trust you with my life...but I still worry, I know its contradictory. Face it, we're gonna run out of food soon, and we'll be forced to search deeper and deeper into the city for fresh food...that's why we've got to leave. Sooner the better."

Judging by her silence, Gabriel figured Zoey was mulling over everything. "We should prepare enough rations for the trip, but just enough to where we're not loaded down. As many knives as we can strap on. Destination is a

must. Somewhere in the wild where we can live outside of the densely infested areas. Bandoliers if necessary."

"We need to train with everything we're going to bring so that we can handle the journey. Also, we need to practice swinging our swords for at least an hour straight- we might need to have that kind of endurance when the time comes." Gabriel said, pushing himself up so that he was eye-level to Zoey.

"We can do this." He said.

"Yes, we can." Zoey affirmed.

Placing a hand on Zoey's head, his index finger messing with a nearly dry curl, Gabriel planted a kiss on her forehead, then stood up. "I'm going to get started on the logistics..." Gabriel said, walking over to the living room. "I'll join you shortly- I need to use the little zombie-slayer's room." Zoey said, chuckling a bit as she made her way to the bathroom. Gabriel laughed too.

The living room, twice as big as the kitchen and with the couches all barricading the door, thrice as sparsely decorated. In the middle of the room was a long steel framed glass table. Piled on top of, surrounding it and underneath it, enough weapons and munitions supplies for a small army, or enough for two to cut a swath through the zombie-ridden city. As useful as it was, only a fraction of it would be brought. Pinned to the wall, a group of maps, one being the map of the city, while the others- schematics and blueprints of safe locations. A rations and weapons supply chart clipped to the end of the map. Sticky notes with simple reminders of various sorts here and there.

Picking up a notebook from the soft white rug that encompasses the entire livingroom, he pulled a blue ink pen from his pocket and sat down, leaning his back against the wall for support.

Opening the red-cover notebook, skimming through page after page of plans- both of successes and failures. Halfway through, on a blank leaf of paper, Gabriel began calculating how many weeks they would need to be in the physical and mental state required to make their grand escape. Preparations would be vigorous- not an ounce of doubt or weakness would be allowed, or else the end result could ultimately mean one or both of them in the festering bellies of the infec

ted that roamed outside. Luckily their food storage would suffice for their training, as for where they would train, that Gabriel had already covered. "I see you're back from your mission." Gabriel smiled as he spoke. "Yessir, now what've we got so far?" Zoey said, approaching Gabriel, drying her hands on the side of her shorts.

When Zoey was next to him, Gabe ran through the details he had come up with so far with Zoey. "So we're gonna be using the gym on the main floor then, huh?" Zoey said, appreciating the resources they had to work with. "You bet chicka- its a good thing you found it that time too." Gabe responded.

Initially, Gabriel and Zoey had found shelter on the main floor of the building. The building being a five-star hotel housing virtually everything they would need- clothes, food and sanctuary. It was during that time that Zoey had stumbled upon the gym, and her first Second Form- or so Gabriel had classified it.

The Infected took on multiple stages, sometimes unique variations due to the genetic makeup and physical condition on the infected individual. The Pre-Form: Sickly in appearance, pale, weak. Easily killed, but their cough is what makes them lethal. Technically, they are people who have come in contact with the infection- either by direct contact such as by the transference of bodily fluids, wounds inflicted by the Infected or inhaling the cough of another Pre-Form. Though still a thinking, mostly-sane individual, they are walking spores, carriers of an incurable disease. Their bodies are at their weakest during this stage as the infection begins to decimate the immune system followed by a series of other highly uncomfortable symptoms. This stage generally lasts a week -this depends largely on the individual's physical resistance and mental fortitude before the frontal lobe ceases to function. At that time the body enters a coma-induced state that lasts roughly around half a day. Upon exiting their sleeping state the individual is no longer an 'individual', but now a lethal, extremely aggressive corpse. The coma leaves their bodies in desperate need of protein- hence the manic desire to consume flesh. Attracted to movement, smell and sound, First Forms will latch onto everything and anything that moves, mauling and attacking their victim onlyto attack the next moving being in sight. Unless periodically fed, First Forms rarely enter Second Form state. The infection circulates a vile white bile through the infected body, keeping all senses and motor skills fully functional. The lack of protein, of which they can track through olfactory means- but only up to a certain distance, causes this white fluid to be rapidly produced in the body, resulting in the swelling of their bodies. Not as swift as a First Form, these iterations are walking biohazards. Oozing eventually happens, exploding should a certain amount of stimulus be applied is another outcome. Contact with this concentrated form of the infection immediately induces the aforementioned coma, rendering one paralyzed, but, painfully aware of their current predicament. The stronger the concentration, the faster the transformation process from normal civilian to mindless being happens- some change in a matter of seconds, while others might endure for a handful of hours or even half a day.

Zoey had found the entrance to the gym, barred. Clipping the lock with a pair of industrial pliers, she had gained access to the gym- and unfortunately, her first Second Form as well. It was lumbering about on the lower deck, a short walk down the stairs to the weight lifting section, when it had heard the doors part.


	2. Chapter 2: I'm getting tired of

The disproportioned hulk twisted around when the scratchy ring of the doors opened- the overhead lights above still off, the fiend couldn't quite tell what had caused the sudden noise. Parts of it's body swollen to near bursting, bright red and purple stretch marks littering its body like a strange striped balloon. Fortunately for Zoey, the lights to the hallway behind her were also dimmed, or else the beast would have clearly seen her silhouette.

Neither Zoey nor the Second Form knew what they were dealing with- or had she known, fear would have surely gripped her heart, squeezing forth a scream like a ghastly strainer.

Partially blind due to the complete swelling of it's nose and t-area, all it could rely on was hearing and smelling. Sniffing frantically for the scent of it's prey, the starved fiend paced in small circles, head raised to catch the faintest whiff, but, the overflow of the white bile closed shut the nose. The sound of a fierce ragged breathing from the freakish thing resonated from a good way below Zoey, and she was about to leave before the most ironically expected of events occurred.

Gabriel strolled in, rifle leveled- with a flashlight taped to the barrel. The item was set to on, and it was an LED flashlight, shooting a powerful beam of light directly into the squinting eyes of the morphed beast.

That's when the two of them truly saw the creature for what was it was.

If one took a good, long look at this abomination- obviously not that one would even dare dream of doing such a thing, but if one did, one could see that this thing was once a tall, slender, middle-aged man. The accumulation of the white bile amassed in it's arms so much so, that only little nubs remained of the tips of the fingers as if the fiend wore exaggeratingly long and bloated rubber gloves. The skin around the swollen areas was a dead purple and some parts an uncanny white. The face was arguably the most disturbing- for the face looked like that of an irritated baby. Hunched over from the excess of weight in the arms, the sinews around the clavicle and shoulder pronounced.

Gabriel stopped in his tracks when he saw the foul figure below, both Zoey and Gabe's breath stolen by the sight. Until that point, neither of them had come across a Second Form. Only from shortwave reports thanks to the radio he had scavenged during a raid, a final broadcast from the World Health Organization and some reports from other lone survivors was he able to glean information of the Infected forms and states. None of the info did the monster justice. Staring, caught off-guard by the initial shock, the two were motionless, as for the creature itself, it merely stood where it was, confused, unable to tell what blinded it. A surge of will swam within Gabriel, and very slowly, he turned his head to catch Zoey's attention.

"When I turn this light off, run." Gabriel said through gritted teeth, speaking as quietly as he could. Zoey nodded.

A quick twist of the powerful flashlight gave way to darkness once again. On cue, Zoey, followed by Gabriel, turned on their heels then ran like the wind. About ten steps out of the gym they both tripped, face planting in the dark. The two had tried to prevent their fall, but such things aren't as easily accomplished with weapons in hand, along with the apparent lack of visibility. Prior to his arrival, Gabriel had walked through a puddle of gasoline, unaware of course. The hard bang from their equipment echoed to the ears of the Second Form, and with a savage, insatiable hunger, the fiend charged up the stairs, slow and awkward something like a newborn gorilla. Letting loose deep guttural growls and unsettling squeals, it found its way up the stairs, and by the time Gabriel had turned the light back on, it was only a few mere feet from him. White puss squashing out of it's bloated knuckles as it slammed the floor in a sign of victory; the intense light blinded it, but Gabriel's struggle to get to his feet gave the creature a very good idea of his general location.

Unable to get up, Gabriel kicked the floor rapidly, sending himself back, the gasoline-lubricated floor greatly aiding him. All the while, Zoey screamed in terror, firing shots at the scrawny neck of the brute, if this act accomplished anything, it only managed to infuriate it. Granted, the shots did a good deal of damage, and took it's attention from her companion, but that did very little good for Zoey. The beast raised it's arms, the swollen hammers swallowing the shots and exchanging them for the infectious fluid.

A quick burst from Gabriel's rifle put the hulk down.

Seeing his one friend in peril gave him the courage he needed to rid the earth of one more Infected. Dropping before her feet, the Second Form twitched a bit, like a chicken after it's head had been chopped off. It posed no further threat to the two. The only threat that would come of it would be the white bile. Much of the vile liquid had seeped and trailed it's way up the stairs, now forming a puddle of the dangerous secretion around the corpse. After gathering their bearings, Gabriel did the only thing he knew of that would eliminate this potential bio-hazard. Removing his shoes, tossing them at the still body, then taking twenty paces backs, twenty good long paces, he balled one of his socks up, soaked it with some of the gasoline on the floor, set a match to it and the rest is quite obvious.

The freakish mass of mucus in the body shifted violently in a sickly twisted manner at the presence of fire, but after several of the longest minutes of their life, it settled. It took awhile before the flame devoured the corpse, leaving not an ounce of the trail of bile out of the equation either. Zoey noticed the white fluid, as it burned, emitted a strangely fragrant odor into the air- like apple cinnamon. She hadn't shared this with Gabriel, but later that day, Gabriel muttered something similar, prompting her to share her thoughts with him. They both came to the same conclusion- it made them terribly hungry, and that seriously bothered them.

"You bet chicka- its a good thing you found it that time too." Gabe said, repeating himself after he noticed a distant stare in his partners expression.

Zoey remained quiet, the memory coming to life in her mind in an instant, then broken as Gabriel repeated himself, for the third time. "Yeah, good thing you found it." he said, this time slowly, watching her expression.

"Oh...thanks. Just remembered that time with the...whatever you called it." Zoey said, playfully jabbing Gabriel's shoulder. Nodding, the young man turned the page, only to close the notebook and toss it across the room. Watching, partially confused while partially entertained by the random act, Zoey tilted her head, cocked a brow and smiled.

"What...was that for?" She asked, headbutting his shoulder in boredom. Standing up, Gabriel opened his mouth to respond as logically as he could, then stopped that train of thought to simply say "Forget the planning, we can do that after training." A shrug of his shoulders definitely added the needed emphasis.

Hopping up, Zoey cracked her neck then threw a few shadowbox punches while saying "Alright! Now you're talking my language!"

"Besides english?" Gabriel joked, his sense of humor sometimes devoid of any humor at all- still, it made Zoey chuckle somewhat. "Come on, it's too late to be wasting time dude!" the young woman said, shoving Gabe to move, which did get him to move.

It was a race to the elevator the moment the two stepped out of the door to their extravagant apartment, the elevator conveniently just a few feet from their door. Inside looked more like a high-end vanity mirror, the designer of this particular elevator spared no expense. Both occupied with examining their appearance, mainly on their long curly hair- Zoey fiddling meticulously with her tips. Glancing at her through the reflection, Gabriel sighed. "I told you to stop blow drying and straightening your hair..." he said, admiring his own hair, rather soft to the touch.

Zoey shook her head, saying "I know I know..."

"Ah shaddup." was Gabe's reply.

"You shaddup." she countered.

"No you shaddup." he parried her counter.

"You shaddup, or next you time you can cut your own tips." Zoey replied, a coy expression on her face.

"Bringing out the big guns, huh?" Gabe said, giving Zoey 'props'. The little air of amusement faded away when the elevator doors gave way, revealing the main floor, or to be correct, the left wing of the hotel on the main floor. It was safer this way- taking the direct route to the main floor via another elevator would've landed the two directly in front of the main exit. That exit in particular being composed of all glass, revealing all of those without of those within- not exactly the wisest thing to do in their current circumstance.

Zoey and Gabe had each brought a rifle, and three cartridges each- even considering the fact that they had cleared out this entire section of the building, being alive with a gun made much more sense than taking a risk without one. Taking point, Gabriel treaded oh so silently down the hall, the safety lock on the weapon set to semi-automatic. Only in socks, his shoes strung over his shoulder, to ensure the maximum level of incognito, he reached the end of the hall where it split into two directions- the fine dining area to his left where the restaurants were located, and to his right, the hall that eventually leads into the main floor of the ground-floor, and a separate route to the gym.

The coast clear, Gabriel gave Zoey the signal, giving her the all-clear to move forward. Despite their debates about which was the better shot, to which Zoey would defend her skills, Gabriel still insisted to take point each and every time. It gave him less to worry about, though he knew the irony was that he was deliberately placing himself in danger. He wouldn't say it, but he knew Zoey was better at shooting than he was, having had many hours of practice firing a real gun way before the infection ever spread or was even heard of. A few minutes later, no sign of an Infected, or non-Infected, Gabriel and Zoey reached the gym: safe and sound. Once at the gym, they shouldered their weapons and relaxed. Having no other possible means of entering the gym room, and having personally cleared every square-inch of any signs of the Infected within the gym, they felt just as safe here as they did in their suite.

"Okay, so, lets just start with stretches..." Gabe said, Zoey already ahead of him. Both of them set down their weapons, and packs- but not their knives. They had agreed awhile ago never to use headphones except inside their suite, so the only motivation they would have would be each other, which always did the job just fine.

Stretching went to jogging, from jogging, running, from running- now thats when Gabriel had become winded. Laid out like a mat on the floor, panting, Gabriel lazily wiped the sweat from his face with a small cloth, dabbing his neck as well. Zoey on the other hand was still raring to go. "What's up? Giving up so soon?" she teased, keeping a steady pace and breathing.

"No..." Gabe said in-between breaths "...I felt bad for you- and my leg hurts like heck too, but that doesn't have anything to do with it at all."

This made Zoey laugh, but afterward she began to feel a little off, guilt arising.

"Okay tiger, show me what you can do- lets hit the weights." Zoey said, prematurely ending her preferred exercise to help boost Gabriel's confidence after his injury.

This, weight lifting, and landing fast, clean powerful blows on the punching bag was where he excelled. They both knew this. Before they headed for the weight room, they had a light snack the two had prepared together- fried lemon chicken breast and carrots. The frozen chicken wasn't going to last forever so it seemed best to just use it for the training. Canned carrots though always tasted better steamed. Neither of them being fitness gurus, they consulted whatever fitness magazines they could find- be it for their eating diets, exercises or just to pass the time.

"That...was intense." Gabriel said, quite pleased with the pump he had from the workout with his companion. He had recently come from the showers, having just rinsed himself off. It took a while, but the water eventually reached the desired heat, the warmth shooting from the showerhead soothing to his fatigued muscles.

Throwing on a gray tank and baggy black sweats, he didn't need to dry his hair much thanks to the showercap he found. A good, thorough cleaning saw it useful once more. When he stepped out of the men's shower room, thinking out loud about how it might be hard to do this everyday he halted when he saw a First Form wandering about, sniffing wildly at their packs, amongst the bench-presses- roughly thirty feet from Gabriel. Stopping, he took the quietest step back while in his wet sandals. Keeping an eye on the Infected, a faceless, presumably woman in her twenties, her light skin meant she could be any race- save for a few exceptions, but Gabe neither cared nor had the time to fret himself over such things. What concerned him was why, after quickly running his hand through his pockets in both his current pants and the dirty, folded shorts he held at his side, he couldn't find his knife.

Then he realized the worst part of it- he had removed the knife during the weightlifting, setting it by their packs, the very packs the Infected rubbed it's face in. Where it's face had once been, now only bone, some strands of facial muscle, and it's eyes remained. Milky-white by color, it would completely lose it's eyesight soon.

If Gabriel was a foul mouth, he'd have surely called himself every name in the book for leaving himself weaponless. A good clunk to his head with his knuckle would suffice. Keeping himself around the corner, eyes darting to the women's shower room opposite to his side of the room, and on the First Form. If he could signal Zoey before she stepped out, blissfully unaware of what lingered a few measly feet away from where she was, then... His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed what the Infected was doing, primarily to itself. Digging it's nails into it's forearm, without the slightest hint of pain, it began peeling off it's skin. If that wasn't enough to make Gabriel hold his stomach in nausea, it started gnawing on the flesh it tore off. As it chewed on the skin, he was sure he could hear a crunching sound, causing a chilly sensation to ride down his spine. He felt sick just watching, and assumed that out of sheer hunger, it removed it's own face to sate it's hunger. Such a powerful hunger. Transfixed on the scene that played out before him, he wasn't quick to notice Zoey as she strolled out of the shower room, towel completely covering her face. Adding to his personal horror, she yelled out "Hey Gabe- I cooked dinner last time, so it's your turn!"

If the First Form had a face, Gabe was sure it would've been as surprised to see Zoey as Zoey was to see it, especially considering the fact it had a long stretch of skin hanging from it's mouth. Instinctively, Zoey clamped her hand over her mouth in fear from the sight. Worried to no end for the life of his friend, Gabriel charged forward, yelling at it to distract it from her. Before it had the time to face him, the pop of a gunshot dropped it to the floor. Shocked, momentarily, Gabriel stepped over it's body to see an annoyed Zoey. "What?" Gabriel asked, glancing down at the motionless corpse, then back at Zoey.

"I had her." Zoey said, pointing the gun at the body, then crossing her arms and shifting weight from her right leg to her left. "Sure ya did." Gabriel said sarcastically, mimicking her action: covering his mouth with his hand, wide-eyed.

Zoey snorted. "Yeah, well, y'wanna tell me what you were planning on doing, Hercules, without your knife?" she retorted.

"Hey, instead of being a smart-aleck about it mayb-" The ring of the gym doors opening immediately grabbed their attention. It only took seconds for Gabriel to swipe his knife from Zoey, and for the both of them to face the entrance, weapons ready. Sauntering in, a bum by the looks of it- a resourceful one to have survived so long, albeit a bum nonetheless. Seeing the two, he waved, then ambled clumsily out. Clearly, he was heavily intoxicated.

"What the?" was all Gabriel could say, until their senses jogged them back to reality, running up the stairs after the bum.

"Hey, wait." Gabe said, keeping his voice low, not knowing whether or not the rag-covered man had allowed any other Infected to come wandering into their hotel. Tripping, over nothing, he rolled over on his back, smiling foolishly at the two. Oddly enough, for a bum, he possessed all of his teeth, and also a full head of hair. Wasting no time, they helped up the old man, ignoring his musk, gathered their packs -more importantly, their rifles- and headed to their sanctuary, the suite in which they abode.

It was three hours before the bum awoke, a perplexed look about him. "He's awake!" Zoey shouted, stirring Gabriel from the kitchen, holding coffee and a can of heated kidney beans.


	3. Chapter 3: A way has been made

"I gather those are for me?" the man asked, undoubtedly starving, yet, patiently waiting for Gabriel to hand him the food and drink. "_No_, we've got _another_ bum who needs it more than you." Gabriel said, handing over the goods to the man. Zoey blushed, elbowing Gabe as he sat beside her on the living room floor. "Many thanks, son." the bum replied, graciously taking the items, also laughing at what Gabriel had said.

"Under _normal_ circumstances, staring at your guests whilst he has _yet to finish_ his meal would be frowned upon in most cultures." the man said, his speech clearer than they would have expected. "Under _normal_ circumstances we wouldn't have needed to handcuff you either." Gabriel responded, keeping his knife close at hand as a half-measure in the case the man became violent.

He, as in the old homeless man, simply nodded in agreement, drinking the coffee.

"I concur." the homeless man said, then added "Might I bother you for more? I'm _dreadfully_ famished." Smiling at the two young survivors.

Looking over at his companion, Gabriel, in his most polite voice said "Zoey, will you be so kind as to get this man another can of beans?"

"No. I'm perfectly capable of watching him- _you_ get him the beans." 'twas Zoey's reply. Arms crossed, dead-serious, Gabe could tell she wasn't going to budge. Rolling his eyes he got up to fetch the man his beans.

Their behavior towards each other amused the older man. "How long have you two been married?" he asked, smiling at Zoey.

Zoey, caught off-guard by the sudden question couldn't respond. Gabriel heard the question, and his reaction was similar- he nearly spilt the beans, literally speaking. "We-w..Gabriel and myself are not married." Zoey finally responded. The man didn't speak, but rather waited for one of the two to better elaborate the matter.

Gabriel had brought the man two cans of beans, to which he sincerely slightly bowed his head in gratitude. Getting himself comfortable, Gabriel sat next to Zoey and finished off where she had started.

"We're **just** two survivors, looking out for each other. I take care of her and she takes care of me."

"So, from what you're telling me, you two aren't romantically involved- because you lead me to believe otherwise by the way you've been treating each other." the older man said shortly after he emptied his first can of beans, wiping the sides of his mouth with his index finger and thumb. The accusation put the two in an awkward situation, trying not to blush but failing miserably. "I mean, look at you- anyone would be hard-pressed to believe otherwise." he added.

Leaning against each other, their heads resting against the others head. Zoey and Gabriel both looked at each other before they sat upright, putting a small distance between each other. Embarrassed to say the least. Zoey was the first to get up and leave, speaking as she left for her room "Nah, I'm just his bodyguard- who else is going to change his diapers."

"I apologize if I've inconvenienced you in any way." the man said, feeling awfully rude. Gabriel waved his hand in the air, shooing the ill air away. "Its alright. No hard feelings here...but things aren't gonna be the same now, that's for sure." his face a shade of pink.

Changing the subject, the man leaned forward, offering his hand to Gabriel. "Pardon my manners, my name is Daniel Harrison."

Naturally, Gabriel took the man's hand, giving his name in turn. "Gabriel Ramos." It felt good to be able to handshake someone once again. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. So, I'm sure you've some queries you might be wanting to ask me..." Daniel said, starting on the third can of beans.

"Whatever is the truth and whatever you care to share." was Gabriel's reply.

"Aptly put." Daniel said "I shall endeavor to do just that."

The man had revealed that he was actually a doctor, or was one before the world went to hell. From California, he was amongst the leading minds of the medical world, with doctors of all disciplines, urgently trying to develop a vaccine to combat bio-chemical warfare overseas. Those on whom the drug was administered were noted to be perfectly healthy within a forty-eight hour time period. The miracle vaccine was rushed through clinical trials before it was deemed ready, but the casualties from the terrorist attack outweighed any apparent risks. As soldiers were granted permission to be returned home to recuperate, the gestation period for the _infection_ began. Unconsciously, the soldiers had effectively become carriers for a more potent, more sinister outbreak. It wasn't long before the epidemic had silently spread, via cough and the exchange of body fluids. By the time it took for the World Health Organization, or 'W.H.O.' as he called it, to actually see the plague before them it was too late to treat. It had reached a global scale in a matter of weeks. Mass fear and hysteria ravaged the more heavily populated cities the most, crippling any means of taking hold of the situation.

The sun had already set by the time Daniel had finished talking, his words holding Gabriel's attention all the while.

"But that still doesn't explain how you've managed to survive this entire time by yourself..." Gabriel said, interested in learning how the man kept his skin for over a year without anyone's help. "My lab had become compromised when a drug lord and his crew raided it, then set fire to it. Of all the places to destroy, you would _assume_ they'd have some commonsense." Daniel said, massaging his calves. Gabriel agreed with Daniel's comment, then asked him kindly to continue explaining his secret to survival without use of any deadly weapons in a city overcome by Infected.

"Now that m'boy, is the interesting part." he said, sticking his hand inside his overcoat, producing a transparent bottle of vodka. Tilting it back and forth, the clear liquor swishing about.

"So, you're telling me that alcohol has kept you safe this **whole** time? Wait wait wait...how'd you even figure this out?" Gabriel asked, dumbfounded that intoxication was his secret.

"That, is a funny thing. I neither married nor had any children, but, my research was the dearest thing to me, that being so, when those _thugs_ destroyed that...I dealt with my sorrow the only way I knew how. I drowned them in liquor. I gave up on life, completely drunk, and walked into the middle of a group of Infected. _Nothing happened_. By the time I came to my senses I got out of there before they turned me into an egyptian tenderloin. When I sobered up, I attempted to do the same. Same test, different result. I can tell you this, I _**never**_ attempted that again. Then it occurred to me that during the time I relinquished all ties to this world and my first confrontation with free-roaming Infected, I had been inebriated. My BAC was high- Blood Alcohol Content if you were unaware."

Gabriel nodded, saying "No, I knew. Please go on."

"Over the course of a week, I found that only while being...well, drunk as a skunk, that they, the Infected that is, were repelled by me. Only temporarily though. Enough time for me to gather food, take a stroll around town and gather whatever I desired." the man said, scratching his forehead.

"Why dress like a bum then?" Gabriel asked, highly intrigued.

"Well, I used to wear my finest attire, but the stench that the drinking left ruined a few, so, to save my favorite suits- thus the _homeless_ man you see before your eyes now." Daniel said, combing his short salty-black hair back.

"Is she always like _that_, I've been meaning to ask, but that didn't seem appropriate given the fact I had yet to provide you with my name."

"_Ehh_, she's on her period- normally she would've choked to death laughing by your remark earlier, probably tease me a bit more for blushing. You get used to it." Gabriel said, having had went and grabbed two bags of potato chips for himself and his guest.

"Thank you m'boy." Daniel said, taking the chips "How old are the two of you anyway?" he asked.

"I'm twenty-three. Zoey's twenty-one." Gabriel said, shoving some of the salty chips in his mouth, the vinegary flavor making the sides of his mouth water.

"Sixty-seven." Daniel said after eating a handful of chips himself.

"We're planning on leaving the city, probably to the countryside. Somewhere I don't have to worry about Zoey..._or myself_." Gabriel said. Yawning, he saw that the morning light was coming over the horizon.

"I think I can be of assistance there." Daniel said, laying back.

"Whatever you have to offer will be appreciated, but that's going to have to wait for tomorrow- I'm going to pass out soon so yeah." Standing, Gabriel stretched his arms. "No offense, but you're gonna have to sleep in the closet- can't take any chances, y'know." Gabriel said, frowning, but no fool as to trust a stranger. "Thats understandable. I wouldn't trust me either." Daniel said, getting up, following Gabriel to the closet. "Here" Gabe said, handing the man a blanket and pillow. "You have my thanks, Gabriel- I've met other survivors, but not a one as accommodating. Sleep well."

Hearing that made Gabriel feel good, and as he said likewise, he closed the door behind himself and locked it. "God bless." he said, retiring to his room. Walking past Zoey's room, he peeked his head in, whispered goodnight and God bless, then threw himself onto his bed. That night, he had the calmest sleep since civilization ended.

Groggy, Gabriel laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity until he shot up out of bed. Recalling he had a training regime now, and a guest to look after, he looked for his pack that he had stuffed with some essentials for when he'd hit the gym, tossed it over his shoulder when he found it. Strapped his machete to his side, grabbed a few clips of ammo for his rifle, quick-checked the weapon itself then headed out his of room. In the kitchen, he saw a note, and taking it in hand, read the following.

_Dear Gabster_

_Got up early, headed to the gym- left you some of my breakfast, enjoy. Put some food in the closet for the bum before I left. Speaking of bums, get yours down here pronto!_

_Love, You know who_

The letter was written in cursive, folded and set atop a covered plate that Gabriel assumed was the breakfast. Lifting the covering, revealing tuna fish, cilantro and powdered lemon zest. Enjoy the meal he did, thanking God for the food and Zoey for sharing. Hurrying passed the living room, down the hall to the front door, Gabriel listened next to the closet door- the man was snoring. His snores weren't ridiculous, but just loud enough. Wary, Gabriel slid a table in front of the door. If they hadn't owned a large supply of weapons and food, maybe he would've trusted the man, but given that he hardly knew anything about the man besides what Daniel told him, he wasn't about to make such a stupid move.

It took a few minutes less to reach the gym than ordinary since Gabriel had only himself to look out for, and once he saw the doors he felt relieved.

Inside, doing just what he had expected of her, was Zoey, a suit of sweat covering her body as she ran on the treadmill. Wearing tanks and shorts, per her usual outfit routine.

Zoey was in the zone, but thanks to peripheral vision she saw Gabriel enter. "Bout time you came. I was gonna drag you out of bed but you looked so comfortable that I decided not to- next time you won't be so lucky." Zoey said, smiling on one side of her mouth as she spoke, that mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Yeah whatever. Lemme join ya." Gabriel said, waving off her threat, grinning as he did. "Don't test me boy." Zoey said, winking at Gabriel, who had chosen the treadmill in front of her. "What on earth did you two talk about last night?" Zoey asked, then took a quick gulp of cold water from her water bottle.

Relaying all of the important details, along with some trivial information, the explaining helped to take Gabriel's mind off the unpleasantness of jogging.

Later that day, the three of them discussed the how, when, and where parts of their plan to escape the city. Daniel agreed with most of their ideas, giving his advice here and there, and every now and then helped with some topics they hadn't considered. He adamantly believed they should bring alcoholic beverages, but they both disagreed, standing firm with their convictions. Finally, after much thought, Daniel slapped his knee in revelation. On top of their equipment, they would wear a large cloth saturated in liquor- while they themselves wore face masks to divert their attention from the smell to the task at hand. Zoey and Gabriel, talking it through, both agreed to use Daniel's approach. Settled then, they inquired of Daniel whether or not he would join them, to which his reply was "No." He believed there was much he should do for the remaining survivors in the city, taking it upon himself as a personal duty as a doctor to aid all the lives he could. Feeling burdened in their heart for the man, they came to a mutual agreement that after they left, everything they couldn't bring would be left to Daniel- this brought a broad smile to his face.

The weeks rolled by, much faster than they could have expected. Each day spent training, then spending time with Daniel, sharing life experiences and which memories were most favorable. It was a pleasant bonding experience for the three of them. One day, as the final week approached, getting up early, walking over to the living room, Zoey stumbled upon Daniel. Unaware of Zoey's presence, looking out of the broad window, Daniel whispered what sounded like an apology, but Zoey couldn't catch all of his words. Turning around, wiping tears from his eyes, Daniel was surprised when he saw Zoey watching him. "You okay?" Zoey asked quietly.

"Just thinking about my children..." Daniel said, his eyes red and puffy.

Not knowing what to say, Zoey hugged the man, then sought some napkins for him. "I thought you didn't have a wife or children?" she asked, somewhat confused.

"I had lied." Daniel said, trying not to look so downtrodden. "Why?" Zoey asked.

Heading to the couch that Gabriel said Daniel could use as a bed, Daniel sat on it and readied his blanket. "We share this one thing in common, we didn't trust each other at first." After that, Daniel said no more, laid down, covered himself and turned his face away. Zoey respected his decision and bothered him not.

.


	4. Chapter 4: It all comes down to this

The day had arrived, the one day all of their training, planning and sweat was poured into. The weeks of intense training and conditioning had paid off, not only for the trip, and their fortitude, but their bodies had changed dramatically.

Gabriel and Zoey hadn't hit the gym this morning, nor had they planned to. Instead, the morning was spent stretching, eating, and talking to each other. Daniel, Zoey and Gabriel gathered around the stockpile of weapons, having already picked their ideal weapons for the journey two weeks in advance. Part of their training involved their weapons so that they might be accustomed to the additional weight. Such a heavy weight rested on the small group, so tense the air itself seemed to quiver. Seeing this, Daniel sat them down, and told them accounts of people who accomplished incredible feats against insurmountable odds, prevailing over the unthinkable. He spoke many words of encouragement to the two, and when he was finished, he hugged Zoey, kissing her forehead much like a father would. As for Gabriel, he offered a firm handshake followed by a hug. Everyone felt a tad emotional, having spent myriad hours laughing and talking with one another. Once the alarms on their wristwatches sounded off, Zoey and Gabe went to their respective rooms, gearing up. Daniel had provided Kevlar, a few rifles, and med kits- courtesy of the local police department. Ten minutes saw them fully equipped, padding donned and weapons in place. Each would take a rifle, two handguns, as many knives as they could strap to their suits and a japanese katana on their backs should the time come. Ammunition clips were also strapped to the body.

Packs filled with everything they would need, canned food rations for a week, neatly packed together well. Once they were completely ready, they sat together in the living room, quiet. It was the quiet that brought back the doubt, once again Daniel encouraged them. "Drop me a line from time to time." he said, causing light laughter to erupt amongst them.

By nine thirty they were already in the elevator to the main floor. On the way down, Daniel placed the cloths, dyed black, on Zoey and Gabriel, then emptied two whole bottles of hard liquor on them. The two already wore their protective helmets and facemasks, so the smell didn't bother them a trifle.

Once they reached the ground floor, Daniel hugged them quickly and shoved them out of the elevator saying "Don't look back, don't stop moving, don't stop fighting and don't stop living!"

Following his orders, the brave souls forced themselves not to look back. In their hearts they promised themselves they would never forget him, they would never forget Daniel.

It seemed ages since they last stepped out of the hotel, the air both refreshing and evil. Cars were packed tightly together for as far as the eye could see, with Infected First Forms and Second Forms just about equal to the amount of cars.

From the entrance of the hotel to the pavement outside, they were moving. What slowed them was a cry. A terrible cry. Second Forms, too hungry to miss the opportunity to consume flesh, along with petrifying hideous humanoid creatures that resembled demonic hairless werewolves- and all of them charging through, over and around the cars, coming from the two's left, two blocks down. Gabriel and Zoey were ready to open fire when they heard a familiar voice yelling. Daniel was outside, yelling at the two to leave, and that he had everything covered. A rifle on his back and one currently being used, he mowed down a number of the Second Forms, missing a few of the bizarre humanoid beings. It was the humanoid things that drew the attention of the Second Forms, giving them direction with their hellish barks. They also had a chilling laugh, like hyenas.

Gabriel and Zoey didn't stop, even going so far as to shove or knock down First Forms that stood in their way. Second Forms were fired at way before they were approached, Zoey's skills as a crack shot proving highly useful. The city was overrun with First Forms and Second Forms, all of them attracted to the commotion brought by Daniel, Gabriel and Zoey.

Another kind of scream made them freeze in their steps. Snapping around, what they saw stole their hearts. Two of the humanoids dodged Daniel's shots, overpowered him and began ripping his innards out.

Without a seconds thought, Gabriel aimed and shot Daniel in the head, ending his misery.

No longer giving chase to the two, the Second Forms and humanoids gathered around Daniel's body, fighting over a piece of his flesh.

Boiling over with hatred for the monsters, Zoey and Gabriel forged on, swearing vengeance upon the heads of those fiends.

An hour later, stopping in a park, still within city limits, they poured some of the alcohol that their friend had given them on the cloths to help stave off hungry Infected. Before they continued forward, they hugged each other, light sobs on both their ends.

"We can do this." Gabriel said, holding Zoey's arms. "We can do this." she affirmed.

After a quick breather, they continued their forced march until nighttime.

Hours of pushing beyond the boundaries of their will proved worth the sweat poured forth, worth the effort, and worth the sacrifice of their friend. Though they wouldn't admit it, Daniel was all they could think about, all they cared to think about. This distraction helped when their thighs and calves began to burn with exhaustion. The city limits were great, and more than once they had to rely on their weapons to overcome obstacles.

It was already midnight when they arrived at the urban neighborhoods, they needed a place to stay for the night- though they trained hard, they were only mortal.

This place, devoid of functioning streetlights, gave an eerie vibe. Something didn't sit well with Zoey and Gabriel, something was off.

Nearly pitch-black, the tired survivors sought out the nearest house to them. Using a specialized camera, showing the world around them as much more frightening than they would deign to know.

Second Forms, and only Second Forms, waddled about the neighborhood, blind as bats, sniffing the air.

Tapping Gabriel's shoulder to get his attention, Zoey pointed over at a small, easily defensible house. Surrounded on all sides by tall pike-like bars for fences, they made for it.

Its one gate, rusted, they deliberately took longer then necessary to open it. Regardless of their attempt, it creaked.

Using the camera, Zoey could see the lumbering Infected being drawn by the noise.

"Forget it." Zoey said, her voice a whisper of a whisper, seeing that there was enough room for the two to slip through. Agreeing with his partner, Gabriel immediately stopped the fruitless effort and carefully slipped in.

Part of his bag got caught on the gate, swinging it wide open, a chilling ring reverberating in the dark of the night. Twisting around, their hearts stopped for a moment. The direction of the sound was all the Second Forms needed to all at once stampede to the house. Slamming the gate shut, Gabriel and Zoey ran as fast as they could into the house.

Darker than the abyss, the camera allowed them to only see a few feet ahead. Something was in this house, they could feel it, but they couldn't pin down what or where.

Practically flying up the stairs, Zoey stopped Gabriel, saying softly "If they barge in here, we're screwed if we go up- lets take the basement, I think I saw a door we can escape from, but through the basement."

Both of their hearts were audible, the thumping beat setting a chilling tempo for the night ahead. It was obvious that the gates would only hold back the throngs of the Infected for so long, so, it was move or die time.

"Alright." Gabriel said reluctantly. Searching the house on the first floor, they found the door to the basement.

Taking hold of the knob, Gabriel felt like he was willingly opening the very doors to hell, and once down below, there was no redemption. Zoey's hand on his shoulder gave him the courage he needed. Turning the door handle, opening it, the odorous musk of decay and death encircled them.

Their imagination did the very opposite of encourage them.

Wooden steps creaked and cried as they drew nearer to the bottom. Fear grew heavier and heavier the longer they progressed down. The only means of visibility being the special camera, displaying everything from its screen like a horror movie.

Looking around, half-expecting something to maul them, they eventually found the door to the back.

"We can do this." Gabriel said, holding back the fear in his voice, huddled next to Zoey, his rifle ready. "We can do this." Zoey affirmed, guiding them with the one camera, feeling a tangible presence in the house.

Spreading the doors wide open, nothing awaiting them outside, Gabriel and Zoey were glad to be rid of the house. It would be more desirable to face the Infected than return to that house.

Holding Zoey's elbow, virtually blind, Gabriel relied on her guidance every step of the way.

Two hours passed as the two managed to elude the Infected through the neighborhoods. A few more hours lead them to the highway. Cars lined the roads along the highway, but they didn't care, it was better to be out of the hell that waited behind.

Just this once, Gabriel looked back at the city in the distance, moonlight giving him a new picture of everything. He saw something, he couldn't tell what, but he saw something flying- one thing he knew for a fact, it wasn't a bird or a plane, and it was massive. Turning around, he didn't tell Zoey what he saw, but the image of it lingered for a long time in his mind.

Now, out of the shadow of the colossal buildings, and the fiendish maze of the neighborhoods and projects, the two no longer relied on the camera.

"Gabriel?" Zoey said softly. "Yes, Zoey?" Gabriel responded, kind of worried by her tone. "I just needed to hear the sound of your voice that's all." Zoey said. "I needed to hear your voice as well." Gabriel said, putting his arm over Zoey, and she in turn putting her arm over him. Eventually they would see their destination, the woods.

Not yet morning by definition, walking in the gray light of twilight, moving on will alone, the two decided to turn in for the day. With the countless options to choose from, Gabriel let Zoey choose the vehicle they would be spending the rest of the morning in.

She passed numerous cars, trucks and vans in her quest for the ultimate motor-motel, eventually stopping at a family-sized trailer, hitched to a relatively old pickup. Wary, Gabriel took point as per usual, checking to see if the door to the trailer was unlocked, then quickly he opened it. A fetid funk of rotting flesh greeted their nostrils. "Swell pick." Gabriel said, covering his nose with his bicep since his hands were preoccupied with his weapon.

They waited, rifles pointing inside, then Gabriel stepped inside, feeling the large mobile home dip a little with the new weight. Before they were aware of the furnishings and bonuses this trailer offered, they were met by the former owner and family of the vehicle. There was not one logical reason as to how or why they died, the mother and three children together. To be exact, two of the children on the bottom bunks, with one on the top, and the mother sitting on the floor betwixt the beds, head resting on the bunk that held only one child. Who they believed to be the father was at the wheel, head lowered. Dead, all of them since the outbreak first started.

Zoey had a theory that they died possibly from the airborne strain of the plague, but died instead of changing to a First Form. Gabriel agreed with her- having heard similar news over his radio to support the theory.

Wrapping their bodies in the blankets from the beds, the two performed the best funeral they could for the family. With no graveyards in sight yet, Zoey assisted Gabriel in carrying the corpses out and placing them along the side of the road. Gabriel then used the basic information from the fathers wallet to craft a makeshift tombstone. Using the family's biggest frying pan, he inscribed the following with one of his knives.

Here lies the Morrison family may they rest in peace.

Then he stabbed the handle of the frying pan into the dirt, the inscribed side facing the road for all to see.

Not exactly what the survivors were used to, compared to the luxury of their suite, though still better than nothing. Modest, in every sense of the word, two bunk beds, a divider for the driver's cabin, a dining area so small they could feel claustrophobia just by looking at it and a potty room on one side with a shower room across.

An in-depth search of the trailer showed no Infected, while a close inspection of the outer hull meant that no Infected could sneak in or catch their scent.

The portable fridge was what caught their attention. Stocked with cans of tuna, tuna and veggies, and beef stew, neither of them had any worry of touching their rations. The microwave above the small fridge added to the easing of their nerves, and to the increased enjoyment of their meals. Fumigation was to be done before either of them ate or slept. Using hand sanitizer from the bathroom, they wiped just about everything they could think of- two times over. Stepping out, they waited a few minutes for the potent smell of the rubbing alcohol to diminish.

Inside again, they organized their supplies, and then removed their protective padding and Kevlar.

Consuming most of the food in the fridge, they had full bellies before lunchtime. Despite that, there was no talking, no laughing, not a single idle word.

They didn't want to admit it, but they missed their home, or what had been their home. The memories forged there. The unlikely friend. The one time they found a stray dog- that lasted only a few days, the dog barking up a storm at every Infected it could see from their vantage point. It was their home.

Laying down, curtains closed, across each other on the bottom bunks, quietly staring at each other.

"When your eyes start to go cross-eyed, does that mean you're part chameleon?" Zoey asked, pretending to be serious as she asked the question. Gabriel tried not to, but he couldn't resist laughing. Her serious face all the more comic with a stupid grin plastered on.

Gabriel didn't respond back, but he acknowledged the joke with much laughter. Falling asleep, they hadn't even noticed it happen. That night, with fragments of memories and wild images, nightmares pervaded their minds.

**Daniel, in the strange house they sought to take shelter in, their friend being torn to itty bits and pieces over and over again by the humanoids and Second Forms. His screams for help unanswered. Weaponless, bodiless, they watched helplessly on. It only ended when they prayed during the dream. Drenched in sweat, they stayed awake until drowsiness overtook them. Sleeping the day away, right into the following day. The dreams they had were strange, but nothing quite like the nightmare they both shared. "Hes okay." Gabriel kept reminding himself, "We prayed with him that morning, he accepted Christ and repented of his sins..."**


	5. Chapter 5: Stop exaggerating

Sleeping-in had its benefits, the main being that the day they slept through was one of stifling temperatures, the other more obvious one, they were allowed to recover in peace.

Up, geared and ready to go, they thanked God for the day and asked for His grace and mercy to be upon them.

Curtains closed their entire stay, their eyes were overloaded from the initial shock of the light outside. "Dang...that's bright." Zoey said, grimacing. Stepping out of the trailer after Gabriel, eyes slowly adjusting, she looked around curiously. The glare from the long stretch of cars bothering them, their eyes still quite sensitive. With no movement in sight, dehydrating from the gear, they removed their helmets and the cloths. Gabriel, glancing over at Zoey, chuckled, having recalled a funny conversation they had one midnight. "What?" Zoey said, half annoyed. Chuckling some more, Gabriel explained himself "Okay, so, you were saying 'tick tock tick tock...I'm late oh dear I'm late'." a smirk on his face.

Zoey grinned as she remembered the moment. "Sooo.." she exclaimed, wiping a lock of hair that was glued to her face from the sweat.

"You're face was scrunched up, tilting your head side-to-side a lil, like a pendulum." he laughed, coughing a bit.

"Stop bringing up my stupid moments." Zoey said "Imma strangle you." she threatened, playing around with her companion.

"Okay, lets stop, this is just ridiculous." Gabriel said, planting his rear on the fender of some old car. Setting his helmet on the hood of the car's trunk, wiping sweat from his face.

"Yeah, I hear ya." she said, sitting right beside him. "Lets put out hair in a braid." Gabriel said, taking this moment to refresh himself with some water, warm but still better than spit. "Fishtail?" Zoey suggested, running through her pack for a brush. "Yeah, that sounds good." Gabe replied, searching for his brush. "Aw man.." he complained "Aw man." he repeated, searching his pack but finding no brush or comb. "Stop your crybaby'n, here I'll do your hair." Zoey said, brushing her partner's hair. Starting from the tips, making her way up, hitting one or two knots along the way, saying "Oops." as she did. Giggling a bit by his reaction.

Gently, Gabriel brushed her hair, having her turn so that her back faced him. Once their hair was good and brushed, it looked moderately wavy, the sweat adding a smoothness to the hair. Zoey then braided Gabriel's hair, her nimble fingers manipulating the hair effortlessly, the end result being a long, thick healthy-looking braid. Now it was Gabriel's turn to braid Zoey's. Oddly enough, Gabriel being the artist, couldn't braid or even work with hair so easily. Making Zoey's braid look crooked. "Its the thought that counts." Gabriel said in his defense. Having to undo the mess of a braid, Zoey re did it herself, taking much less time and leaving a more cleaner, and straighter result. "Okay then, let's get this show on the road," Gabriel said, resuming their journey, slipping on the hefty packs once more. Tying the clothes to their necks, they strolled on like super heroes, until a strong breeze blew the capes over their heads, ruining the moment entirely. "Hey look!" Zoey shouted, running ahead. "I'm not playing 'I spy' again." Gabriel said, bored out of his mind.

Zoey saw a jeep, old and in need of a new paint job, but still worth a try. Peeking through the windows she saw one dead body in the driver's seat, nothing else. "Wait up..." Gabriel said, picking up his pace. Slipping her arm in the half-opened window, unlocking the door, then pulled out the body. "Mind if I borrow this?" Zoey said, pulling the body out, straining just a bit. Taking a look at the body, she noticed most of the right side of the corpses neck was eaten. Instinctively she turned around, her weapon aimed at the inside of the car. Seeing Zoey's sudden change of expression, Gabriel sprinted towards her, coming up to the body, then seeing the area where chunks of meat had been eaten off. His rifle ready as well, he looked at her, then mouthed that he was going around the side. She mouthed back 'be careful'.

Nothing here, or there, Gabriel thought as he looked around the vehicle. Opening the side-passenger's door, revealing nothing. A quick look inside confirmed the same. Nothing. Looking at the body, feeling paranoid, Zoey went up to Gabriel, pulling him by the arm away from the car. "Did Daniel ever tell you or say or mention anything about these things being smart?" Zoey asked, teeth gritted. "If he did, donchya think I woulda told you?" Gabriel replied. Something wasn't right, and the fact that Zoey couldn't put her finger on it only made matters worse. Getting in the car, Gabriel looked around, everything fine and dandy as it should be. The keys were still in the ignition, and there was still some fuel left, so apparently it all didn't evaporate. Reclining the seat back, looking up, he could see a massive hole in the roof. "Zoey..."

Gabriel practically flew out of the car, rifle aimed into the heavens, walking around in a circle while still focused on the sky. This made Zoey chuckle. "You look like a noob new to a first-person shooter game." When Gabriel silently looked at Zoey, she saw a pained look carved onto his expression.

A thin, child-like humanoid crawled out from under the car that the corpse was set up against when the two weren't looking. Leaping onto Gabriel when he was looking up, completely caught off-guard.

It's tailbone had grown into the look of a bony tail, the tip too long for too little skin, ripping out of the skin. Ears pointed and stretched, like a cat's- each one split in two. No eyes, not even eye sockets, nor a nose, the mouth making up most of its skull. Thin, needle-like teeth filling the inside of the mouth on all sides like a leech. A sharp tongue that moved like a snake. Long, thin legs and arms, fingertips bloodied, the bone exposed. Scratches and scars along its forearms. Attached to the arms were strange folds of a thin membrane. Pasty white in complexion, white bioluminescent circles on its body that pulsed fast or slow depending on the creature's mood. Wearing tattered khakis, the rest of its body bare.

When it leapt onto Gabriel, unbelievably swift, it lunged its tail into Gabriel's back, instantly releasing white bile into his body, the vile fluid acting as a lethal neurotoxin. By the time he looked at her, Gabe had lost all motor functions. Collapsing to the ground, the wicked little humanoid crawled on top of Gabriel, perched like a bird-of-prey. Tilting it's head, it opened its mouth wide, even for it, gathering Zoey's taste from the air. As it breathed in, it made a deep croaking sound, then hissing as it exhaled.

Without a thought Zoey shot at the creepy fiend, but before she could hit it, it leapt into the air, the long folds of skin acting as baleful webbing. Flying away, Zoey held her breath, aimed and fired. Missing the speedy Flyer. Running on top of a car from a better shot, she aimed again, firing, the bullet tearing a hole through the membrane. Catching itself in the air, flapping slower, Zoey took advantage of this opportunity. Aiming one more time, she shot it in the waist, and before it had the time to crash into the ground Zoey was already racing t'wards it. Shrieking, trying to fly away, it only reached a few feet off of the ground before it dropped right onto the road again. Vaulting over the hood of a car, Zoey stormed up to it, causing it to cry out, a shrill painful cry.

Grabbing it by the neck, it yelped, then she threw it full force at a car, smashing it through the side window. Weakly, it tried crawling away, but Zoey had it by its tail before it could, screaming when she took hold of it. Dragging it out, she slammed it on the floor, and in one fell move, crushed its skull under her steel-toe boot. It's limbs twitched violently for a few seconds. Scraping cartilage, bone, brain matter and skin across the road, dragging it's blood off. Remembering Gabriel, Zoey ran back, worry coming back in full power. Her heart racing faster than ever. She dropped to her knees when she saw nothing but a drying up puddle of blood. Her world spinning around, she twisted around looking everywhere. "Gabriel!" yelled Zoey. "Gabriel!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, a cold knife sawing at her heart, the frostbite of ice sitting in her belly. "Gabriel!" she called out, looking under and into every car her eyes could see. Searching for hours but to no avail.

Eventually, her gear scattered outside, she returned to the trailer she had spent the night in. Laying on the bunk Gabriel had used, she wept, crying herself to sleep.

Waking up early in the morning, taking in a deep breath, she stretched. Eyes a bit cloudy, she wiped them while saying "Hey Gabe, can ya make some taters?" Pain barged its way right back into her heart at the cold irony.

She went to sleep fully geared, so getting all of her equipment outside was what mattered. Moving slow, carelessly picking up her stuff, Zoey trudged on. As she passed the body of the Flyer, flies swarming around it, she pulled out her handgun and emptied the clip on the body, filling it with holes. She felt numb, but she still had a place she needed to be. Every step felt like ten, she wasn't worried if the gunshots drew any attention from anything. Walking along the road, she stopped. Turning around she saw one of the Flyers, just sitting, like a vulture watching Zoey. Walking up to it she punched it in the face. It squealed and prepared to fly away when she caught its tail. They had brought katanas, one each- deadly yet elegant curved blades, and she hadn't forgotten about it.

Swinging the creature over her, she pulled the katana from behind her, a clear ring as it was unsheathed, and sliced through the creature, bone and all. It shrieked and cried for a few seconds until it died.

Slowing to a stop, she dropped to her knees, wiping her runny nose.

Staring at the floor, the dried earth she was kneeling upon, faded green grass here and there. A revelation came to her while she gathered herself, metaphorically speaking. With Gabriel out of the picture, she wouldn't have anyone else to worry about, and though she partially enjoyed nagging him, she could go where she couldn't before. It took Zoey a second or two to come to reality- it was only because they had each other that they would and could do the things they did, breaking their own physical and mental boundaries. This wasn't helping, stopping every now and then, yearning for his silly, sometimes dry humor, but most of all, that one phrase he used when they were both in need of encouragement. Replaying his voice in her head, doing her best to imagine how he'd have said it.

'You can do this...' "We can do this." Zoey said, then, confused, she repeated it.

'You can do this.' Again she replayed his voice.

'You can do this, so stop wasting your time.' Zoey laughed, rubbing her eyes- she knew him too well. Getting up, dusting herself off, feeling highly motivated, walking with a pep in her step. "What would you say right now." Zoey thought aloud, map in hand.

'You're insane. I kid, you're just crazy.' Zoey laughed out loud, enjoying this little one-on-one session. Very encouraging, talking to one's self. Humming, it helped to wile away the hours. She kept her sights on the horizon, a squalid town coming in sight- first a gas station, then, a little ways down, the beginning of the town. The gas station was her first stop- first check if any food remained, then maybe a bathroom. She could use a toilet right about now. Drawing nigh, Zoey crouched a bit, increased her speed and kept her rifle's safety lock off. The small station, attached to an equally small outlet store, six stands to pump gas and no one to attend it. The door was closed, both of them. As she reached her hand to check if it was locked, she hesitated. Weird, considering she rarely did so and only during the most terrifying situations she's been through. Coaching herself, she twisted the handle and quickly swung the door open. Over a dozen of the demonic little Flyers turned to see Zoey. Out they flew like a swarm of massive hornets. She was overwhelmed by their numbers. What got her really worrying about herself was why the little fiends didn't attack her. Pushing her and flying into her, they were being ordered, something had them distracting her.

Inside the store, a powerful rumbling sound shook the building, Zoey could hear merchandise dropping off of racks and counters. Breaking through the entrance, glass and frame in the front of the store, a behemoth version of the Flyers broke out, tumbling out, then corrected itself. Its maw- enormous, lined with hundreds of their needle-teeth. This one in particular was different, having a strange gray-ish brown beard comprised of thistles instead of hair, going all the way down, even under it's tail. Twice as long as it's body, with a series of barbs coating the tail's tip.

Taking a ridiculously deep breath, tasting the air- its voice like clouds rumbling with thunder in its belly, then exhaled, the hissing like an anacondas. Standing as tall as a city bus, with a massive wingspan. Zoey didn't hesitate to run like mad, firing shots to keep the smaller Flyers away, permanently grounding a handful to the ground. They were playing with her, she could sense it, so long as they continued to do so she could devise a plan. Take out the leader- that was her top priority, after staying alive. Running, zigzagging, ducking and weaving through the hungry Flyers kept them from pinching off bits of flesh. "Gabriel, look what you got me into!" Zoey yelled, shooting three of the creepy little fiends out of the air. By the sound of heavy flapping, Zoey knew the alpha of the group was above. Firing a few shots at it's face caused it to drop out of the air, but not enough to kill it. Quickly recovering from the fall, the alpha stood up, and from it's stance, the way it raised it's head up, beating it's tail in the ground, it was challenging Zoey. Creating a circle around the two, the remaining Flyers screeching sounds randomly and sometimes in unison. This was a challenge, one she would not back down from. Drawing her katana, Zoey yelled "Come on!"


End file.
